Empirical data indicate that the so-called “Buddhism of yellow color” that is predominantly associated with Japanese “immigrant” Buddhism, is constantly in decline in terms of “explicit” adherents. After some methodological observations, this article gives an overview of the relevant statistical data. The last part discusses possible reasons for these negative dynamics, referring to causes within Buddhist institutions, the ethnic community, and at the level of the individual.

Religion is always present in any migratory phenomena. Along with culture, language and social capital of any transnational community, religion plays an important role in the adaptation process of immigrants to the host society. Japanese-Brazilians migrants living in Japan are no exception. Within the religious experiences that these immigrants bring to Japan, Roman Catholicism holds a predominant role. However, the encounter between Japanese-Brazilians and Japanese nationals within the limits of the same Roman Catholic parish proves, at least, to be conflictive. However, within the list of ethnic activities occurring at the Roman Catholic Church’s parishes, the Mass in Portuguese for Japanese-Brazilians emerges as an example that encourages the role in the process of the migrant’s adaption to the host society. This chapter presents findings from multiple-site fieldwork at eight parishes of the region of Kanto and Tokai regions of Japan.

In this article I aim to give an insight into the religious diversity among the Japanese-Brazilians living in the municipality of Tomé-Açu, Pará. In order to achieve this objective, fieldwork was carried out in Tomé-Açu between September and October 2017. I interviewed fourteen people and visited religious organizations, cultural associations and museums. To establish the historical context I have, mostly, relied on the works of the scholars Alfredo K.O. Homma (2016), Philip Staniford (1973a, 1973b), Takashi Maeyama (1972, 1973), and Tomoo Handa (1987). I have compared my findings with studies carried out by scholars on other Japanese communities in Brazil. During and after my fieldwork, I have been in contact with Japanese-Brazilians who have identified themselves as Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, non-practicing Catholic, non-religious and Protestant. The article concludes that even though the Japanese-Brazilians attend a great variety of religious institutions, they only represent...

Since 1990 Japan has witnessed the increasing flow of migrants in order to work at the industrial sector. Among the migrants, those of Japanese ancestry have constituted a particular case. Socio-economic as well as historical processes have been the primary target of academic research on the field. However, very few cases are related to the study of issues of daily life, particularly those related to religion. In those few cases, the goal has been an attempt to map the rich and yet complex world of religion beliefs among the migrants. The present article seeks to contribute to that task by examining the particular experience of Brazilian Nikkeijin (Japanese descendants born outside Japan) within the Roman Catholic Church in Japan. The article is a result of my fieldwork conducted between 2006-2008 among Brazilian Nikkeijin migrants who attend mass at Roman Catholic parishes throughout the Kanto region and Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka prefecture.

This paper explores the historical role of Busshinji temple as a center of Buddhism in Brazil for non-Japanese. Busshinji was established by Sōtōshū as a betsuin (branch temple) in the city of São Paulo in 1956. Drawing on interviews with early adherents, I intend to argue that many first attended Busshinji as it was the only Buddhist temple offering meditation in São Paulo. For these followers, it was their first point of contact with Buddhism. Many later left to become leading figures of other Buddhist schools in Brazil. It is thus my contention that Busshinji played a significant historical role in the expansion of Buddhism in Brazil.